The main problem with cultural appropriation comes from dominant groups 'borrowing' from marginalized groups who face oppression or have been stigmatized for their cultural practices throughout history.
Castor oil has long been a used as a remedy for a whole host of ailments including arthritis, digestion, insomnia and even period cramps. But it also stimulates hair growth.
My consciousness is a process, and that includes my relationship with my husband. His being white doesn't make me any less black or invested in black issues, the same way him being a man doesn't make me any less of a feminist.
Sounds cliched, but I can't survive without my calendar.
My debut book is a collection of personal stories and advice about communication on the Internet. More specifically, the downfall of communication because of the Internet.
Over the years, I've found that dealing with white people faux pas can be tricky. If I get upset, I could quickly be labeled the 'angry black girl.' But if I don't say anything or react too passively, I risk giving friends and acquaintances permission to continue crossing the line.
Self-care is really about taking care of you and focusing on feeling good about yourself - mind and body.
My undergrad degree was in graphic design, and I don't work in that anymore, but I obviously do a lot of design and editing and Photoshopping, and the Adobe Creative Cloud is essential!
Do not feed the trolls! Racist commenters usually troll the Internet looking for people of color to harass online. If you avoid responding, oftentimes they will get bored and move on.
For whatever reason, illiteracy continues to plague the racist troll community.
People that are not happy in their offline life tend to turn to trolling to fill the void. Oftentimes, the people saying racist things do not even necessarily believe in what they are saying. They are just looking for attention they do not get in real life. When you keep that in mind, it is easier to avoid indulging those people all together.
I'm embarrassed to admit that I thought the world was ending my junior year of high school after a dye job reacted badly with my perm and left me with a sparse and burnt up hairline. Even though I went natural a few years later, my edges never seemed to recover.
'Lemonade' resonated with me, and I love the direction Beyonce is going with her music and her career.
My channel is an opportunity to give people a new perspective on natural hair. Love what you have and work with what you've got. I think that's really important.
I always make sure to moisturize my hair. I love natural oils, coconut oil. Moisture is one thing you can never go wrong with.
I love my journal as much as I love my phone. I find it to be a big part of my self-care to reflect on my day and write words that inspire me or paste business cards and pictures.
For me, at least with my parents, I feel that they wanted me to have all the opportunities that they did not have, and for them, that meant going to private school.
The Internet is part of my job, so I have to approach it with a level of professionalism. I don't necessarily think it's changed who I am, but if anything, it's impacted the opportunities that have come into my life and the people that I've been able to develop relationships with - which I'm very fortunate and thankful for.
I believe there's a huge conflict of interest when local prosecutors investigate cases of police violence within their own communities.
Social media isn't as quaint as it was when I started my Livejournal back in high school.
